This isn't what Dan Wilson wanted.
It's not what Mariners players wanted, either, and there was an air of mystery when they were notified of an impromptu team meeting Sunday morning.
Nobody really knew what it was," catcher Cal Raleigh said.
Inside the T-Mobile Park clubhouse, Wilson broke the news to the team about an hour before the start of the final game of the season: He would not be returning as manager next season.
Inducted into the team's Hall of Fame in 2012, Wilson has spent 32 years working with the Mariners in various capacities — All-Star catcher, team ambassador, minor-league coach and big-league manager.
Respect for him runs deep for what he's meant to the organization, and with that in mind, the team was careful in how it formally announced his departure — "it was concluded," the news release read, "that (he) will not return as Field Manager in 2027."
Wilson fought back tears as he read a statement Sunday afternoon with similar verbiage. It was clear, though, that this was not his decision.
Players reacted with similar emotions.
"A hard day," Raleigh said.
Starting pitcher Logan Gilbert had been holding out hope that the Mariners' thrilling 2025 season — featuring their first AL West title in 24 years and the deepest postseason run in franchise history — would buy Wilson the opportunity to return next year.
Instead, Wilson took the fall for the most disappointing season in club history.
"It's definitely shocking because of the success that we had last year," Gilbert said. "But it was so drastic of a turnaround this year. ... Unfortunately, I feel like we let him down in that regard, and he had to pay the price for us underperforming."
Wilson, on a human level, had built personal relationships with many of the players since taking over for Scott Servais in August 2024.
"I love Dan," Gilbert said. "Like, who he is as a person, his values, his integrity (are) very apparent. He lives it out. It means a lot as a player. That's the type of guy you want to play for."
Starting pitcher Bryan Woo said it's a sentiment shared throughout the clubhouse.
"You build a relationship with a guy like that, and it's really difficult to see him just wear everything this year," Woo said. "(What) he meant to everyone in this clubhouse and the building, it's hard to describe. But as a group, we failed him much more than he failed us."
Woo lauded Wilson for his authenticity and steadiness.
"The only thing that you can ask for in terms of a relationship like that is just truth, and that's what you got from him every day," Woo said. "I don't want fluff. I don't want bull (crap). I want the truth, whether I like it or not. And he's always there to give it to you."
Raleigh has been close with Wilson since they first got to know each other when Raleigh was a young catcher coming up in the Mariners system. He said he was still processing the news Sunday afternoon.
"You feel terrible," Raleigh said. "You feel responsible, and I think every guy in this clubhouse does.
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